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fundamentals Shape the tenon continued Start the handle by cutting a long tenon, 3/4 in. sq. Mark the shoulder so that the tenon will protrude 1/2 in. beyond the top of the mallet head. by 41⁄2 in. to 5 in. long will make a mallet head that is massive and heavy enough to deliver a blow with great force when needed. You can glue up such a block if you don’t have 12/4 stock available, but be aware that the glue joint might fail eventually. A through-mortise in the mallet head provides an attachment point for the handle. To make it, find and mark the center in the top of the blank. Then, using a drill press or a handheld drill with a spade bit, bore a 3⁄4-in.-dia. hole through the blank, top to bottom. Use a rat-tail (round tapering) rasp to elongate the hole on the top of the mallet head by 1⁄16 in. to 1⁄8 in. toward the end grain in each direction. The wider opening should taper down about halfway through the mortise. If you don’t have a rasp or file, a 1⁄2-in. dowel and some coarse sandpaper will do a decent job. Next, mark the striking surfaces of the mallet for cutting at a slight angle from top to bottom. An angled surface will strike the butt of a tool handle more squarely because the mallet itself typically will be angled slightly upward when the blow lands. Cutting the ends is simplest on the bandsaw. Plane or sand away the sawmarks. It’s also a good idea to bevel the edges and corners of the block to prevent splintering. Turn a square tenon into a round one. First mark out a 3/4-in.-dia. circle on the end grain, then use a combination square with a 45º head to mark chamfers that just touch the circle. Carry lines from the corners of these chamfers down the sides of the tenon. Next, use a flat rasp to create the chamfers, stopping when you reach the layout lines. A second pass with the rasp removes the secondary corners and makes the tenon nearly round. Start the tenon on the bandsaw The handle also should be of a sturdy, straight-grained hardwood such as maple, birch, hickory, or oak. Start with a 12-in. length that is 3⁄4 in. thick by 11⁄4 in. wide. Begin by marking the layout for the tenon that will connect the handle to the head. At one end, mark a centerline to bisect the width of the piece. Use this line to lay out a 3/4-in. square. Next, mark out a shoulder line 31/2 in. from the end of the piece and then cut away the waste on the bandsaw to create the square tenon. The extra 1⁄2 in. of tenon length will allow the Do the final shaping by eye. Use a rasp, smooth file, or scraper for final cleanup, checking the fit frequently. A chisel cleans up the shoulder. 34 F I N E wo o dwo r k I N g